


Two's A Crowd

by hyunsikness



Category: A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band)
Genre: Also My Longest Fic To Date So Yeah Sorry If It's A Bit Sloppy, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dance, Competition, Cuddling & Snuggling, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Injury Recovery, M/M, Opposites Attract, Overworking, Possible side Sehchan, Romantic Fluff, Sharing a Bed, Sleepy Cuddles, Slow Burn, Slow Dancing, Slow Romance, This Is Purely Self-Indulgent Please Bear With Me, very light angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:46:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23683360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyunsikness/pseuds/hyunsikness
Summary: Donghun is a serious contemporary dancer whose life rotates (almost) purely around dancing. Junhee is a cheerful and charismatic hip-hop dancer who will enter his world and burst his little bubble.
Relationships: Lee Donghun/Park Junhee | Jun
Comments: 3
Kudos: 22





	Two's A Crowd

**Author's Note:**

> this might be silly and uninteresting but i need to get out my thoughts and the story i built up in my head somewhere. i hope other people can enjoy it at least a bit. thank you to anyone who decides to read. comments and feedback are always very much appreciated <3 have a good day!

The pleasantly sweet smell filled his nostrils as soon as he walked in. Everything was quiet and he went into the kitchen, finding his roommate crouching in front of the oven. He looked up, alerted by the sound.

“Ah, hyung! You arrived just on time, the cookies are almost ready.”

Donghun left his bag on the countertop and joined his young friend, completely unconcerned by the fact that he was baking cookies at 2am, and crouched next to him. He had eaten several of his bizarre desserts at unhealthy hours already.

“They look good,” he said, curious. “New recipe?”

“Kinda!” the youngest answered enthusiastically. “I need to give it a twist for a class project… of sorts. I’m just testing so it doesn’t come out badly when I do it in class.”

“And I’m your guinea pig.”

“More or less.”

“It better not be poisonous.”

The youngest hesitated.

“It shouldn’t be,” he said, naughtily.

“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” the oldest protested.

“I wasn’t trying to.”

Donghun looked at him, offended, and Yuchan dedicated him a smirk. Donghun smirked back.

“Did you have dinner? I have some leftovers.”

Donghun looked at him with sad eyes, moved. He placed his fingers under his eyes and pretended to cry.

“I can always count on you, Channie.”

“Come on, you act as if I didn’t cook for us both most of the time.”

Donghun clung on to him dramatically.

“What would I do without you?”

“Probably spend the whole day dancing. And starve.”

Yuchan stood up and went to the fridge.

“How is the choreography coming out?”

Donghun sighed. He didn’t really know.

“It could be worse,” he said heavily, resting his head on his open palm.

“You still have a lot of time to prepare, though. Don’t stress yourself!” He took a plate out and placed it on the countertop. “Take a break if it’s too much.” He added, being well aware that, with or without a due performance, he would still go and spend hours dancing anyways.

“I know, I just want to do well. It’s a big event.”

“You will,” the youngest said cheerfully.

“Of course you would say that.”

“I mean it.” Yuchan said, whiny.

“I know.”

The oldest let out a small, warm smile.

“Then sit down and shut up! I’m gonna prepare you something with the leftovers. You better not fall asleep on the countertop. You’re way heavier than you look.”

Donghun smiled widely.

“Okay, mum, I won’t.”

“ _Aish_ …”

Donghun let out a silent laugh. Yuchan could feel it as he mixed all the ingredients on the frying pan. Donghun observed quietly, still in awe. Yuchan had a natural, bubbly, talkative personality, but he became so quiet when he cooked.

He had been his roommate for several months before they had become best friends. After so many unbearable and incompatible companions, he had found the one. And it felt right. Donghun was in a point of his life in which all the pieces seemed to be starting to fit, Yuchan felt like the very last piece. That feeling you get when you finally take the last piece in your hand and place it carefully. That’s how meeting Yuchan had felt.

He didn’t mind Donghun’s crazy sleeping schedule, he didn’t mind Donghun talking about nothing but dancing, he didn’t mind that he was as clingy as it was humanly possible. He didn’t mind his fairly strong personality, perhaps because Yuchan’s was just as strong, but in a different way.

They instantly clicked. The dancing maniac and the hyperactive cook. Donghun could open up to him in the short span of a few weeks. Donghun probably hadn’t been this close to anyone since he had left home. It felt good to finally have someone he could rely on. He wasn’t alone anymore.

Of course, he wasn’t completely alone, he had people. His colleagues, the kids he taught, this guy called Byeongkwan, who accepted to let him use the dance studio at unhealthy hours.

Yuchan brought the plate and placed it in front of him. He handed him some chopsticks.

“Eat and go straight to bed.”

“I’m not tired though,” Donghun whined, a pout leaning out.

“Hyung, tomorrow is Saturday. You have a couple of hours of classes from early in the morning, remember?”

Donghun stopped gobbling down his ramen to look at Yuchan. He chewed slowly, as if in thought.

_Shit._

“Well, fuck.”

Yuchan started laughing.

“How is it possible that I remember your work schedule better than you?” Yuchan raised an eyebrow. “But don’t worry, hyung, you have the best alarm at your disposal,” the youngest lifted his thumb to his own chest confidently, smiled funnily and winked. “I’ll make sure you don’t fall asleep.”

Donghun looked at the time in the little clock resting on the wall next to the fridge. It was tacky and childish-looking. It had the shape of a smiling sun. Donghun thought it was obnoxious and creepy, but Yuchan seemed to love it very much. He would defend it wholeheartedly whenever Donghun dared to say it was ugly. And, to be honest, he had grown fond of it as well.

Three in the morning. He would have about four hours of sleep. Amazing. He continued eating in silence, with Yuchan’s enthusiastic voice only filling it from time to time. He was talkative, but knew Donghun wouldn’t say a word while he was eating. With other people, maybe he would feel the need to fill the silence, but it was different with Yuchan. The youngest didn’t mind his lack of conversation. He appreciated his silences, because they meant he trusted him.

The youngest leaned by the oven again to check the cookies and took them out.

Donghun looked at them suspiciously.

“What?” Yuchan said, already offended by the heartbreak in Donghun’s eyes.

“They’re pink.”

They had an indeed weird pinkish color that left Donghun feeling a bit skeptical.

“They’re strawberry flavored.”

A short silence.

“Are they edible?”

“Okay. First of all, _rude_. And second, of course they are! I just… I, I think I added too much colorant.” The youngest was quick to reply, and his voice tone kept lowering, embarrassed, as if he had committed the biggest sacrilege known to men.

Donghun took one and gave it a bite.

“Hey! You were suggesting they could be inedible just now.”

“For you, Channie, I would risk getting food poisoning,” Donghun said as he chewed.

Yuchan gasped exaggeratedly as Donghun took another bite with the most stoic face.

“That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

Donghun put a hand in front of his mouth, but the joy in his eyes gave Yuchan a bit of hope.

“They’re so sweet. I don’t know if that’s what you were going for, but they are nice,” Yuchan was looking at him, expectantly, ready to note down any complaints. “I wouldn’t be able to have many of them. They’re soft, though, which I appreciate. But I guess that’s just because they’re still warm.”

“They aren’t supposed to be. Ah, I’ll have to change the quantities again then.”

“I can stay up to try another badge.” Donghun started saying, teasingly.

“No! Absolutely not. Go to sleep, I’ll leave some for you before I go to uni tomorrow.”

Donghun pouted in protest but was too tired to complain. He sat up.

“Okay… Good night.”

“Good night, hyung.”

* * *

Saturdays were always tiring, but having so little hours of sleep just made Donghun want tear his hair out. He worked at a dance academy, giving classes to a group of kids five days a week.

Contrary to what people usually thought, Donghun actually liked kids. At least the ones he taught, anyway. They were nice and respected him. They were probably the sole reason why the academy had decided to keep him. The kids adored him.

Yuchan entered his room to wake him up, as he had promised. He started shaking Donghun and laughed as the oldest’s eyes opened up slowly. Donghun’s counterattack consisted of holding Yuchan by the waist and making him fall onto the bed to tickle him.

“Ah! Come on, hyung! This wasn’t part of the agreement!” He had exclaimed, trying to resist his urge to burst out laughing.

He eventually managed to free himself from Donghun’s grip, after a few seconds of struggle.

“I’m going now,” he said strongly. His head appeared again behind the doorframe. “Don’t fall asleep again!”

“I won’t… Have a good day.”

“You too.”

Donghun could hear the sound of a sarcastic flying kiss, then the sound of the door as Yuchan exited the apartment.

Minutes later, a sleepy Donghun stumbled into the kitchen and opened the fridge in search of some coffee. Yuchan had left some for him.

“Ah, as expected from Kang Yuchan… My guardian angel.” He mumbled in a raspy morning voice.

Next to the microwave, there was a small plate with cute patterns, filled with a bunch of cookies, even pinker than the badge from the previous night. Donghun took one as he left the house and put it in his mouth as he closed the door.

“Hm, that’s better.”

_I like these more_

_They are subtle_

That’s what he texted Yuchan while he was on the bus. He knew the youngest always appreciated some good feedback, even if he was probably having his test at that very moment.

It had taken him a while to get the combination of buses right, but he had managed to, with Yuchan’s help. He wasn’t familiar with the area when he first arrived, so he used to wake up way earlier and try to walk there. If he hadn’t come across Yuchan as he walked back, he would probably still be doing that.

He greeted the bus driver softly and sat on his usual spot. It wasn’t a very busy line, so he could pretty much always sit on the same place. He would usually put on his earphones and watch some performance videos he was too tired to watch the previous night. That time, it was no exception.

One could say Donghun was a person who lived and breathed for dancing. And they probably wouldn’t be wrong. A big part of his life was dedicated to dancing. It was only understandable, since he had sacrificed so much to get the freedom to make of contemporary dance his professional career.

His childhood had been filled with plenty of fights with his parents, hurtful words and prejudices. He had given up on his family and friends to pursue dancing. It could seem a bit radical, but Donghun didn’t want to live a life controlled by other’s decisions.

He moved out as soon as he was old enough to live by himself. He had taken up a couple of part-time jobs for a couple of months, with the excuse that he wanted to be able to buy his own whims without asking his parents for money. They didn’t agree at first, since they wanted Donghun to focus on his studies only, but they ended up letting him. Donghun was a smart kid after all, and they could always make him quit if they saw the slightest slope in his grades.

Then, once he became an adult, he ran away. He wanted to choose his own path, whether it was for the better or for the worse. Not everything was easy, but he felt independent and stable, and he liked it. He had reached that point with only his own effort and a couple of convenient coincidences, and it sure was fulfilling.

When he got to the academy, he greeted everyone and left his bag in his locker, next to the showers. He was a teacher, so he had his very own, labelled one. Someone had even printed a small tag with the characters of his name in vertical and had stack it neatly. Donghun didn’t know why, but he felt accomplished every time he looked at it. The ink was starting to fade out, from the several times he had slid his fingers over it in amusement.

He always had some time to spare before the kids started arriving, so he always made sure to warm up correctly and revise what he would be teaching that day. He loved choreographing, and coming up with moves that were simple enough so the kids could put just a bit of thought into them was quite easy. Preparing the classes was fun (and, to be honest, quite exhausting too)

The kids were good. He had gained their trust and respect over time. He could barely get all of them to be quiet and pay attention to his explanations before, but now he could snap his fingers and all the kids would shut their mouths simultaneously. It felt good, not to have control, but to be respected. Despise his seriousness, Donghun had a certain warmth to his character that was likeable for the children. There was a mutual respect between Donghun and his little students, and that’s what made the difference, what made the children feel so at home.

He had four different groups of kids. With about fifteen minutes in-between so he could rest and get prepared for the following one. The classes usually lasted for over an hour, depending on the energy the little ones had that day.

On Saturdays, though, they normally didn’t even last the full hour. Of course not. You can’t make a kid wake up early on a Saturday and expect them to be docile and energetic. And honestly, Donghun was glad that was the case. Because he didn’t have much energy in the mornings either.

So he would look for new games to play with them. Games that involved dancing, that is.

For the warm ups, he would let the kids decide the songs. Every day, one of them got to choose. Donghun would let them know beforehand so they could think about it and have it prepared the following day.

“Who was in charge of the starting song this week?” Donghun asked once all the kids had arrived and formed a line in front of him, with his hands on his hips.

One of the oldest kids rose his hand.

“Jaehyun? Okay, come with me then. The rest spread through the class and make sure you all have enough space between you and your classmates.”

“Yes, Mr. Lee.” They would all say at the same time, making Donghun feel like the oldest person in the world.

“Aish… What am I? A grandpa? Just Donghun is fine.”

“Okay Mr. Donghun.”

Donghun sighed. Being with these kids always made him feel older. I mean, he was only twenty-six, for god’s sake!

The kid told him the song he wanted and Donghun found it immediately. The rest protested as soon as the first notes started playing but Donghun was quick to keep them quiet again.

“If you keep complaining I will skip you all when your turn to choose arrives.” Donghun said softly, but with a serious gaze, and the quietness that came after was almost scary.

Donghun was sweet and gentle with them, but he had to make sure they would respect him as well, or there would be no way to control them.

The four hours always went by quicker than Donghun expected. When the last hour had finished, he would high five all of the kids as they left the room and then clean up and leave. His body was exhausted after so many hours of constant movement, but he didn’t seem to care about the numbness in his muscles.

He took a short shower in the teachers’ changing room and headed to the dance studio once again. There was no one there when he arrived, as always. He pretty much had the whole building for himself.

The rules were simple. He would have to clean after himself. In exchange, he could practice for as long as he wanted.

The room was big, way bigger than the academy’s, with a big mirrored wall. The walls and ceiling were completely white, with the logo of the dance crew in the wall opposite to the mirror. No windows or natural light whatsoever, which had made him stay in that room for way longer than he originally planned. It’s not like he minded a couple of extra hours of practice anyways, though. He only made sure not to arrive home late because he knew Yuchan would get worried if he didn’t give any signs of life until 2 am. Last time it happened, the youngest had gotten quite angry with him, so he tried his best not to repeat his mistake.

Alone and locked up in a ninety-nine metered square room, that’s when Donghun could just let himself be. He was a dancer after all. He was either dancing or thinking about dancing. That’s how it had always been, ever since he was very little.

He loved that place, the dim lights on his back, the big space. A room like that, with no windows, would be considered a prison by many but for Donghun, that room was where he felt the freest. It was like his own little world. A world where everything was easier and the weight on his chest would leave as soon as he closed the door behind him.

_* * *_

_Donghun was outside the studio, trying to look inside through the glass doors, without getting too close. It was already dark outside but there was a strong light coming from inside and Donghun could vaguely hear some of the music that was playing inside._

_It would be good if he could dance in a place like that. That’s what he thought. The rooms at the academy were good enough, but they were always full of people. He wished he could have a place where he could just dance and practice without anyone seeing. He had wanted to make this one choreography for a long time, but he didn’t have enough space at home. He needed to move around a lot._

_“Can I help you?” A voice asked from behind, startling him._

_He turned back, seeing the owner of the oddly friendly voice. He was slightly shorter than Donghun, but his strong presence counteracted his height. His eyes had a comforting, weird shape and his gaze made Donghun give a step back._

_“Ah… Not really…” He realized he was on the way, so he gave another couple of steps back so the stranger could get in. “Sorry.”_

_Donghun wished he could be as good with adults as he was with his kids. He would come off as rude most times, so he just tried to say the least amount of words possible. The less words, the less chances to screw up. His words, however, didn’t match his curious, nervous eyes._

_But the stranger nodded and entered the building without saying a word._

_“Actually!” He forced himself to say. “Is this studio yours?”_

_“It belongs to my dance crew,” the young man said. “Why? Are you interested in some classes or…?”_

_“Not exactly. I just wanted to know if it’s free at any time. I need somewhere to practice.”_

_The boy took a couple seconds to answer._

_“I can pay for it,” Donghun added with a voice as thin as a thread._

_“Maybe,” “Could you come here tomorrow at the same time? I’ll let you know then.”_

_“Thank you.”_

_And the boy disappeared behind the door._

_The following day, as he had told Donghun, he was already waiting for him._

_“These guys don’t leave the place until ten in the evening,” he held some keys in front of Donghun’s face. “No need to pay anything.”_

_Donghun took the keys hesitantly._

_“Are you sure it’s okay?”_

_“Yep, just make sure you clean after yourself. And don’t ever lose the keys.”_

_* * *_

Donghun started warming up. His body was still numbed by the previous classes, but he couldn’t help himself. He needed it. Some calming music started playing out of the speakers as he stretched on the floor. The atmosphere was quiet, melancholic. His eyes were closed, his forehead against his legs and his mind at peace.

The music coming out of the speakers made the floor vibrate slightly. Donghun loved that.

He got up and continued the warming up routine thoroughly, his breathing became calmer and calmer as he started concentrating. He could already see the choreography in his mind, he could see himself going from one side of the room to the opposite one, delicately, softly.

He walked to the center of the room and looked at himself in the mirror.

But, as the next song started, the door opened. A boy of more or less his age appeared behind it seconds later. Donghun looked at him through the mirror.

The boy looked at him with curious eyes. He was surprised, perhaps even slightly startled. Judging by the way he walked towards the center of the room, where Donghun was standing, he seemed shy and insecure. A small presence in the huge magnitude of the bright room.

“Uhm… Hi.” The stranger said nervously.

Someone had entered his little bubble.

And Donghun didn’t like it one bit.


End file.
